Means for limiting capillary attraction between structural elements



F. J. JACKSON. MEANS FOR LIMITING CAP ILLARY ATTRACTIONYBETWEENSTRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.

APPHCATION FILED MAY 29. I9j,'19. I 1,429,851 a PatentedSept. 19, 1922 Inventor; F J JdO/fSO 72, by

attorney.

Patented Eept. l9, 12222.

FRANK J. JACKSON, OF WATEELOO, IO'i/VA.

Application filed May 29,

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Waterloo, Blackhawk County, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Limiting Structural Elements, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for limiting capillary attraction between structural elements, and the object of my improvement is to effect that limitation by soshaping contacting but slightly separated bodies and by varying the dimensions of their interspaces as to prevent seepage of a liquid or other substance therebetween-and across from one face to the other.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

My invention is designed to prevent seepage between the horizontal joints of silo structural elements, but may be usefully employed in any construction where seepage is to be diminished or prevented between narrowly juxtaposed surfaces.

The said means is particularly desirable in a silo, where one wall, the inner, is exposed to the moist contents, while the outer surface of the silo is subjected to the weather. My said means will prevent passage of moisture from either wall to the other side, thus keeping the structure substantially dry, and preserved from unequal humidity with swelling, distortion or other injury to the building or its contents.

In practice, and as illustrated, this in vention is applied to structures built up of superposed planariform blocks arranged in end-connectedv tiers, providing hollow cylindrical or polygonal sections. Such a building is not here illustrated as the principle of the invention is suiiiciently shown in the instances given, of superposed blocks of this type, but slightly varying in the arrangement and forms'of the elements.

Referring to the figure, the numeral 1 denotes like superposed blocks, which may Capillary Attraction Between 1919. Serial No. 300,693.

be planks or the like, having flat horizontal contacting surfaces, separated however by the narrowinterspaces 8, air-filled as usual. As the opposed surfaces of the blocks 1 are more or less filamentous, moisture on one side of the structure tends to creep through the air-filled interspaces, dispersing the'air therein, adhesively, and as a result of capil-' lary attraction, and thus soon traverses the joints, whereby the structure gradually becomes. more or less saturated and destruc-' two actions are set up therein.

As shown in said figures I prevent passage of this moisture throughthe structure by providmg lacuna or passages 2, of which there may be one or more, between the blocks and intercepting said interspace 3. The passages or spaces 2 thus interrupt the narrow spacing ofthe blocks, being so large that capillarity'ends with them, and moisture cannot enter or traverse the middle interspaces 3. 3

In the figure the blocks 1 are shown as having on their upper surfaces spaced longitudinal ribs 4, of but slight elevation, to enter the grooves 2, preventing side-play, and also furnishing shouldered projections which limit the creep of moisture at the limit or boundary of the grooves. I 30 It will be seen that the body or middle of the block remains dry, and unequal ex- 'pansion or contraction prevented, which would in timeruin the structure.

Having described my invention, what I claim as, new, and desire. to secureflby Let-' ters Patent, is:

1. In combination, in a wall structure, tiers of horizontal blocksof which the hori zontal faces of abutting blocks are in con-' tact and'provided with transversely-spaced longitudinal articulations, each articulation comprising in the under block a raised ridge, and in the superposed block a co-mating groove of greater height, whereby a space is provided above the ridge of greater height than the interspace between the said contacting parts of the blocks, to thereby I interrupt capillary attraction between the blocks at such higher spaces. 100

2. In combination, two superposedjbodies with closely approximated surfaces, the under surface of the upper body having spaced grooves with the grooves positioned relatively close to the adjacent side Walls of the said body and the abutting surface of the other body having tongues extending into and meshing With said grooves but a limited distance,providing above each tongue May, 1919.

FRANK J. JACKSON. 

